Across the Sea
by whatanauthorsgottado
Summary: In her youth, Grandma traveled far and wide.
1. Chapter 1

Many, many years ago, I used to sail the seas myself. I was a great adventurer, taking on storms and sailing Bokoblins alike with nothing but my little boat and a bow and arrow.

Even your Grandma was young once, you know.

Have I told you the story of the man who claimed to be from the old country, dear? No, I don't believe I have. I'll tell you now, then.

I was on a long voyage back from Dragon Roost Island in the north. It must have been just a few miles south of that - just south of Northern Triangle Island, I believe - when I saw someone floating in the sea.

It's not unusual for travelers to find castaways, of course. Most good folk will bring them home, or at least to the nearest settled island. It's just good manners. Pirates, of course, charge the poor people money for the trip, but - well, no one can do much to stop those types.

Anyway, I took the poor man aboard. He was the strangest man I've ever seen - dark skinned, with bright red hair - and very tall. He was wearing scraps of what might have once been armor. He looked like he had been a warrior.

I took care of him for a while - he was awfully sick, the poor man, dehydrated and weak. He must have been in the sea for a long time. His fever didn't break for nearly a week, and I must confess I thought he wouldn't make it for a while. He did though. That man had a warrior's spirit.

At first, when he woke, I couldn't understand him. He spoke a very old form of Hylian, you see, one that has long since disappeared from the Great Sea. I took him to Greatfish Isle, to see if the island's guardian, Jabun, could speak to him - but I couldn't find him. I spent a few weeks teaching the man to speak our Hylian, and when he could speak well, he told me he had come from Hyrule and he didn't know where he was.

I had to tell the poor man that Hyrule was ancient history. I told him our legend - the legend of the Hero of Time - and he looked very sad, especially at the end.

He told me a story in return, a few days after I told him our legend.

'Once, there was a great desert - a plain of sand and dust, where no trees or grass grew at all. The wind did not bring rain, only heat and great storms of sand. It was an awful place, where few could live for long.

'Despite the dangers and trials, a group of people known as the Gerudo lived in the desert. They were a tribe of warriors, who survived by taking food and water from farmers' fields near the edge of the desert.

'The king of the Gerudo saw the suffering his people went through, and he saw how easy life was for those farmers and the people of their country, with their green fields and great rivers. The king wanted his people to have an easier life, so he went to the king of the green country and asked for a field for his people to grow food.

'The king refused.

'The Gerudo king grew very angry at this, but he was a clever king. He knew that he could never win a war against the other country, so he came up with a plan to take over the other country by fooling the other king into thinking he was their friend.

'While he was planning, the Gerudo king learned that the country had a great magic that made the land green and beautiful. The Gerudo king decided to take this magic and use it to make the desert green.

'The Gerudo king found the magic, but when he touched it to use it, the magic split into three so he couldn't use it properly. The king became mad and went on an awful rampage, destroying the country he had taken over and ruining the fields he loved so dearly.

'After seven years of his horrible rule, the king was overthrown by a young man, who had gained part of the magic that had split apart. The young man had the mad king locked away, where he couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

'But the king escaped his prison and went mad once more. This time, the young man didn't stop him, so the gods of that land stepped in to stop him themselves.'

After the man told me that story, he asked me if I had ever seen people that looked like him - dark-skinned and red-haired - and I said I hadn't. He told me he wanted to go and find them, and I offered to take him.

We traveled the Great Sea for many months, looking for his people. We even went past the borders of the Great Sea, to places that were never on any maps that we could find. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we looked or where we went, we never found anyone that looked like him.

Once, I asked him who his people were and who he was, but he refused to tell me. He said his name was Dragmire, but that who his people were wouldn't matter unless we found them.

Two years after we set out, we returned to my home here on Outset Island. We hadn't found Dragmire's people, but he said it didn't matter for the time being.

He said that he was going to find something - he never told me what - and he told me to take care and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. He then left on a passing merchant ship heading north and disappeared.

* * *

"Did you ever see him again, Grandma?" Link asked, eyes wide and sparkling in his little face, peeking out from under his bed cover. Like most boys his age, he loved stories of adventure, and he loved hearing about anything odd or mysterious. It came of living on such a little island as Outset, where nothing exciting ever really happened. Aisha sometimes wished that Link's curious streak wasn't as wide, but she loved it, really.

"Oh, yes. He came to visit often, asking questions and telling stories. He hasn't come in a long time, though. Perhaps he's been busy with something."

"Did we ever meet him?" Aryll piped up. "Cause I don't remember anyone like that, and I think I would!" She frowned, trying to remember ever meeting the man.

Aisha laughed. "You two were very small when you met him. I believe you were about three, Link, and Aryll must have been barely a year old. He visited while I was taking care of you for your parents, while they were away on Windfall Island."

Now it was Link's turn to frown. "I think I remember that," he said. "I remember a really tall man in black, with a really deep voice." His eyes widened suddenly. "Right! I asked you if he was Grandpa!"

Aisha chuckled. "Yes, and didn't that surprise him. He isn't your grandfather, but he is a very close friend of mine."

"Oh." Link and Aryll snuggled deeper into their blankets. "I hope he comes back sometime," Link said. "I wanna meet him for real. I bet he's really cool."

"You can meet him another day. For now, it's time to sleep," Aisha said with a smile. "Goodnight, Link. Goodnight, Aryll."

"Night, Grandma!" the two replied in unison. Aisha sat in her chair by the fire, listening to their quiet breathing as the two fell asleep.

She sighed quietly. Raising Link and Aryll by herself was tiring, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

She watched the flames dance gently over the driftwood, wondering where the years had gone. Link was two years away from his coming-of-age already. It seemed like no time had passed at all since her days sailing the Great Sea and other waters, and yet it felt like a lifetime had gone by.

"Where did the time go?" she murmured, before smothering the fire and heading to bed herself.


	2. Chapter 2

"Grandma, I'm home!"

Link barges in the front door the way his grandmother always has to tell him not to, slamming the door shut behind him. He doesn't hear a response, so he calls out again.

"Grandma?"

"In the kitchen, dear!"

He makes his way there, wiping his boots on the mat by the front door before he does. When he makes it through the doorway, he stops in his tracks, eyes wide in horror.

Seated on the floor across his grandmother's old table is none other than the King of Evil himself.

Link is dimly aware of his grandmother saying something, but he can't hear it over the pounding of blood in his ears as Ganondorf turns around and meets Link's eyes with his ugly amber ones.

Ganondorf grins toothily and lets out a small chuckle. "Of course this is your grandson, Aisha. He's the spitting image of his father."

Link finds his voice. "What are you doing here?!" He draws the Master Sword, ignoring his grandmother's protests. "Get away from my grandmother, you… you fiend!"

"Link! That's no way to talk to a guest at all! I don't know what the issue is here," she continues, looking between the sword in Link's hand and Ganondorf's nasty grin with trepidation, "but the both of you should act like the adults you are and talk it out."

"Listen to your grandmother, boy."

Link opens his mouth to argue some more, but his grandma glares at him from behind Ganondorf's head, so he closes his mouth, sheathes the Master Sword, and sits down at the table beside her.

"Much better. Now, what is wrong?"

"Grandma, this man is the King of Evil from the legend! He's my greatest enemy!"

Link's grandmother turns to Ganondorf. "Is this true?"

"It is." It is Grandma's turn to gape, though she has a little more dignity about it than Link. "Aisha... I will not lie to you. I was indeed the great evil that caused the destruction of Hyrule. I now seek to return the old country from beneath the waves. You see... Hyrule has not been destroyed, not really. No, it lies at the bottom of this cursed ocean, underneath an enchantment that protects it from the water. I seek to return the Triforce to its whole self once more, and use its power to bring back Hyrule."

"I see... this is a troubling turn of events. Still, if what you say about returning Hyrule to the world is true... Why did you not tell me before?"

"Yeah! It would have made more sense to spread your plan around, wouldn't it? That way, people could help you find the Triforce."

"People would have believed me a lunatic. The old kingdom is lost now, its story but a legend told by only your people. The people who live on this ocean are far too preoccupied with themselves to aid me in finding a lost country." He looks Link straight in the eye. "But you... You drew the Master Sword. That sword cannot be drawn by any except the one who contains the spirit of a hero, the same spirit your predecessor shared. It gives me reason to believe that you also could find and bear the Triforce of Courage, as he did."

"You mean like Tetra has the Triforce of Wisdom?" Link blurted without thinking.

"Tetra... that girl who was with you in my tower. Yes. Just as she is the descendant of the one who bore the Triforce of Wisdom and is now the one who bears it, so too could you be the one who bears the Triforce of Courage."

"I think I understand," Grandma says. "Link, you should find the Triforce of Courage. To see the old country come back to life... If we have that opportunity in this lifetime, we should take it."

Link hesitates. "I... I want to see Hyrule again... it's beautiful. But... my guide said you only ever take, and destroy. I don't know who to believe."

"Your guide?"

Link figures it couldn't hurt to tell him, at this point. "He's called the King of Red Lions. My boat. He's actually the spirit of the last King of Hyrule, though."

A dark look overshadowed Ganondorf's face. "I see. I want to speak to him myself. Take me to him."

"I...I guess. As long as you don't destroy my boat."

"I will not. You have my word."

Link leads Ganondorf and Grandma out to the dock where he had moored the boat. The King turns his head at Link's approach. "Ah, Link. Did you have a good visit -" He caught sight of Ganondorf. "Link, is that -"

Ganondorf folded his arms across his chest. "It is," he says in a voice that rumbles like thunder. "You are a fool and a liar, old king."

"You're one to talk! You, who completely ruined the country you desired so much!"

"That is true," Ganondorf allows, "but I have changed a great deal from that mindless beast. Several centuries will do that to a man. I seek only the reconstruction of Hyrule now."

"Why should I believe you?! You broke out from the Sages' seal in a rampage, one that I watched with my own two eyes! You've done nothing since but kidnap young girls and attack settlements with monsters!"

"The monsters are not mine. There were monsters living in Hyrule before I ever entered it. The ones there did as I said, after my conquest, but the monsters of the Great Sea do not heed my commands."

"But you do not deny the charges of kidnapping!"

"Wait a moment," Grandma interrupts. "Was it your bird who kidnapped Aryll?"

Ganondorf turns to Grandma. "None of the girls I took were harmed in any way. I swear it. I was merely looking for the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. If I had been given the opportunity, I would have sent the bird back with the girls when I had ascertained that they were not the one I was looking for." He turns back to the king with a scowl. "I could see no other way to find Wisdom. Speaking of my misdeeds in such a way is rather hypocritical, coming from the man who sank Hyrule in the first place."

Link starts. "You were the one who sank Hyrule?"

The King scowls as much as his wooden face will allow. "I was. That was how I had possession of the Wind Waker; I used its power centuries ago to seal Hyrule beneath the water, to save it and its people from Ganon's destruction."

Ganondorf's scowl deepens. "Hyrule's people, but for those you considered unworthy. My own people, for instance."

"The Gerudo could take care of themselves, I thought."

"We were desert dwellers! None of us could swim, and you knew that well enough! You left my people behind on purpose!"

"I -"

"Do not try to deny it!"

"Enough," Grandma cuts in. "No shouting at each other. We can discuss this like civilized people. Now. No matter of the other's past transgressions, I think you two ought to have a common goal in restoring Hyrule. Isn't that right?"

Ganondorf and the King open their mouths as though to argue, then they shut them and nod. Grandma nods in satisfaction.

"That's right. Now, what needs to be done to do that?"

"The Master Sword must be restored to its full power -"

"We need to find the Triforce of Courage. That is all. The Master Sword is irrelevant -"

"Except to keep you in check," The King mutters.

"Now, I'll have none of that, thank you. So we need to find the Triforce of Courage. Anything else?"

"I have the Triforce of Power already. Where is the bearer of Wisdom?"

"Safe."

"She's in the basement of Hyrule Castle," Link volunteers. The King scowls at him, but Link ignores it. He's following his Grandma's word now, not Ganondorf's and not the King's.

"You will need to fetch her."

"Bring her back here, dear," Grandma offers. "I'll take care of her while you search for the Triforce of Courage." Grandma smiles brightly. "I can't believe it... we're going to return to the ancient kingdom!"


	3. Chapter 3

Link sets sail, his grandmother waving him off and the King grumbling under his breath. Link ignores him, swiping the Wind Waker through the air to move the wind to carry him to the Tower of the Gods.

Slowly, they're submerged and sink down below the waves, Link not even looking over the side as he considers what to tell Tetra. He can hardly believe what had happened himself; she'd probably think he was crazy!

Link heads down below the statue of the Hero, the King's spirit following behind. Tetra turns from considering the portraits of the Sages with a grin. "I knew you wouldn't leave me down here!"

"You'll never guess what just happened," Link says with an answering smile. "Ganondorf just showed up at my Grandma's house! He says he wants to rebuild Hyrule! And we're gonna help him do it!"

Tetra starts. "What? That guy from the Forsaken Fortress wants to rebuild Hyrule?"

"Yeah! He needs the Triforce to do it, though, so we gotta help him."

"This is foolish," the King grumbles. "Ganondorf is tricking you into doing all the dirty work so that he can rule as a tyrant over Hyrule."

Link turns to the King, hands on his hips. "I didn't get any tyrant vibes from him. I think he really wants Hyrule back, for everybody, not just for himself. If he wanted Hyrule for himself, he would have just stayed down here, wouldn't he? There's no one here. He could destroy it all he wanted."

"I suppose. But I can't claim to understand a mind like Ganondorf's. Perhaps there's more satisfaction in destroying something when there are people to oppose you. It's not relevant anyway." The King looks at Link and Tetra very seriously. "If you stand with Ganondorf, you stand against the Kingdom of Hyrule, and against me. I will not aid you in doing Ganondorf's work. Do you understand me?"

"Sir… What are you going to do?"

The King's eyes flashed. "Stop you."

There was a sudden rumble. Link and Zelda take off towards the stairs, but a magic field stands at the bottom. The rumbling stops after a moment and the field disappears, but Link realizes that the statue of the Ancient Hero has moved to cover the stairs again.

When they looked back around, no one was there. "I'm sorry to have to do this," the King's voice says, "but I cannot allow Ganon to destroy my country again."

Link and Tetra look at each other, eyes wide. "What do we do?" Tetra whispers. "I can't die here. I was supposed to die a glorious death on the sea!"

"We're not going to die here," Link assures her. "We should… I don't know. But we'll think of something."

They try for several hours to think of something, but coming up with ideas isn't easy while sitting in a dank basement.

"Dammit," Tetra mutters. "What's the point in having the Triforce of Wisdom if it won't even do anything?"

"Tetra, that's it! We can use the Triforce!"

"How? We only have Wisdom, and I can't vision myself out of here."

"No, but can you… I don't know, ask it if it can do anything else?"

"I can try…" Tetra closes her eyes and clenched her fists, concentrating hard. After a few minutes, she sighs and relaxes, but doesn't open her eyes. "Nothing."

"Maybe you should try to relax a little? Don't try too hard. It should kind of come to you, I think."

She frowns slightly at him. "I'll try not trying, then."

She sighs again and sits down on the floor. Link sits beside her but doesn't touch her, in case it breaks her concentration. They breathe in sync for a while, and suddenly a golden glow fills the basement.

It is coming from Tetra's hand, ignoring the white satin glove covering it. Tetra looks down at it and smiles.

"I can teleport us out of here," she says.

Link leaps to his feet. "Awesome! But… where can we go?"

"Anywhere I want."

"Do you remember Outset Island?" She nods. "Let's go there. My grandma and Ganondorf are there, so it'll be easy to figure out what to do next."

She takes his hands and closes her eyes in concentration. Around Link, a golden glow appears, and suddenly they are elsewhere.

The beach of Outset Island appears around them. Link drags Tetra up the sand as soon as he's recovered, up to his grandmother's house. As he'd done earlier that day, he throws the door open and barges in with Tetra in tow.

"I do wish you would open the door with more manners," Grandma says, poking her head into the entryway. "Oh, you must be Tetra. Ganondorf is in the other room."

Link wipes his feet, cowed, and brings Tetra into the kitchen, where Ganondorf is standing over the table, which is spread with a map of the Great Sea.

"So you are the bearer of Wisdom," he says, turning to face the children. "I must apologize for what I did when last we met. I was angry… you didn't know yourselves. I attacked you without reason."

"It's… well, it's not okay, but it's in the past now, I guess." Tetra offered her hand. "I'm Tetra."

"I am Ganondorf."

"So, now what?"

"Now that you have retrieved Tetra, we must find the Triforce of Courage. I cannot sense its power. Something must have happened to it." Ganondorf looks over at Link. "You returned too quickly to have sailed here. Where is your boat?"

"It – the King attacked us. He said that we were standing against him and Hyrule by helping you, and he sealed us in the basement of the castle. Tetra teleported us out."

Ganondorf utters a word that sounds unlike any curse Link has heard. "That old fool. By standing against us, he ruins his chances of ever seeing his country again." He shakes his head. "No matter. We will have to find other ways to move about the Great Sea."

"I have a ship," Tetra volunteers. "And this one doesn't talk."

"It will do. Now all that remains is to find the Triforce of Courage."

"How are we gonna do that, though?" Link asks. "Didn't you just say something had happened to it?"

"So I did. Its power seems to be... broken, somehow. Normally, I would be able to sense the presence of Courage, no matter where it was, but its influence on the world is weakened. It cannot leave the bounds of Hyrule, though, so it must be somewhere on the Great Sea."

"Maybe it's broken?" Tetra suggested. When Ganondorf looked at her, she continued. "Think about it. You couldn't sense where I was, since I didn't have the whole Triforce of Wisdom. Maybe Courage is broken into pieces, so we'll have to find them all."

"That is a good point." Ganondorf's expression darkened slightly. "The Great Sea is big. We could search forever for its pieces without something to point the way..."

Link suddenly remembers the old charts he'd dug up in various places. "Hang on! I think we've got something to help point the way!" He reaches into his pockets where he keeps his sea charts and pulls out several charts decorated with golden triangles and written in an incomprehensible script. "If we can figure out how to read these, they might help us out!"

Ganondorf reaches for the charts, and Link hands them to him. Ganondorf opens one of the charts and smiles slightly. "Yes – I can read these charts. They are coded, but it's not a difficult code to break. The locations described on the charts are locations within Hyrule – they must be the places where the shards of Courage were placed."

"Why would Courage have been broken up and hidden, though?" Tetra asked. "Wouldn't whoever broke it up have realized that people would want to find Hyrule again?"

"That would make sense – unless the one who broke Courage was the same one who now does not want Hyrule to be ressurrected." Ganondorf scowls. "His actions raise more questions than answers. I wonder..."

"You wonder what?"

Ganondorf shakes his head. "Nothing important. Perhaps the old fool had a point, though." He looks Link in the eye. "You should continue your work to restore power to the Master Sword. How many Sages have you restored?"

"Uh... Just one. Why -?"

"I feel that we will have need of the sword before this venture is over. Your duty is now to find the second Sage and restore the sword's power. Tetra, you will take your ship and find the pieces of the Triforce, once I have decoded these charts."

"Sounds good to me. I'll have to contact my crew." She holds her hand out to Link. "I'm gonna need my necklace for that."

Link hands it to her, and she heads outside to contact her crew. Link turns back to Ganondorf. "How am I supposed to get to the Sage and the Temple? I don't have a boat anymore..."

"I can fix that." He leads Link down to the water, and concentrates for a moment. A brightly painted wooden boat appears in the water, shipshape and ready to sail.

"Whoa!"

"This is your new ship. Use it well."

"How did you make it appear out of nowhere?"

Ganondorf smiles slightly. "Parlour tricks. The power of the Triforce is great; it is nothing to move an object from one place to another."

"Wow."

"Regardless, it is time for you to go. Go swiftly, and return here when the Master Sword is back at its full power."


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, they're almost at the end of the labyrinth. According to the dungeon map Link had picked up earlier, the dungeon boss is in the next room.

Ling signals to Makar to stop for a moment. "The boss is in there," he says, gesturing to the massive door in front of them. "I should probably fight it alone; I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay, Link! Be careful!"

Link smiles reassuringly. "I will. Don't worry."

Link hadn't told Makar why he needed the Master Sword back to full power – since he didn't know himself, it would be difficult to do so. He also hadn't told Makar what had happened with the King of Red Lions, not that Makar had noticed the difference in his boats – he hadn't seen the King the last time Link had been at the Forest Haven. Link had only told him that he was on a quest that needed the Master Sword, and that Makar was a Sage and the only one who could help him power the Master Sword.

Link hopes this won't affect the strength of the sword when they finally finish off the dungeon boss and Makar begins his prayers.

Link steps through the big door into a room full of sand. For a moment, nothing happens, then the sand begins to undulate, revealing a massive wormlike beast with huge pincers for a mouth. Link stares in awe, then notices – there's an eye in its mouth!

The beast comes flying towards Link, forcing him to dodge, then it burrows back into the sand. A second later, it resurfaces with its mouth gaping wide, making its tongue an easy target for Link's hookshot.

Several minutes or so later, after an exhausting boss fight, Link finally slashes for the final time at the beast's tongue, and it comes out of its burrow in the sand, landing hard on the surface and disintegrating. The sand suddenly shakes and starts to disappear, apparently sinking into nowhere.

Suddenly, the massive door opens and Makar flies into the room, landing safely on the stone floor revealed by the sinking sand. Link smiles at him in greeting.

"I heard the boss' death cries and figured it was safe to come in!"

"You were right. The boss is dead. Now, let's get this sword all powered up."

Link places the blade into the opening in the floor, right in the middle of the Triforce symbol, and takes out the Wind Waker to conduct Makar.

* * *

Link docks at Outset Island and dashes up to his grandmother's house – after asking the pirates, who are also docked there, where Tetra is. He slows and opens the door in a more civilized manner, then wipes his boots and runs into the other room.

"The Master Sword is back at full power!" he reports to Ganondorf, who is seated at the table, looking at a marked-up map of the Great Sea with Tetra, who is back in her pirate clothes.

"Excellent," Ganondorf says. "Now you can aid us in finding the last piece of Courage. There were only seven maps, but there are apparently eight pieces."

Link frowns. "I've been to every island on the Great Sea, and those were the only charts I found. I have no idea where the last one could be."

"This is troublesome…"

"That's one word for it," Tetra snorts. "If we can't find the last chart… what do we do?"

"Wait a minute! I've got an idea!" Link turns to Ganondorf. "While I was trying to raise the Tower of the Gods, I met two spirits who spoke ancient Hylian. Maybe they could help?"

Ganondorf considers this. "Perhaps," he says. "Valoo is one, yes? Who is the other?"

"A big fish called Jabun! He's here on Outset, actually. There's a cave in one of the south cliffs; he lives in there."

"Take me to him."

Link ignores the ordering tone and sails Ganondorf into the cave in the cliff.

Ganondorf shouts something in ancient Hylian into the empty cave. A second later, the water begins to shift, and Jabun surfaces. He says something to Ganondorf in reply, and a short conversation ensues. When it's over, Ganondorf bows slightly and gestures to Link to bring them out of the cave as Jabun dives below the water.

They return to Link's house, Ganondorf wearing a satisfied look and Link trailing behind in confusion.

"The last chart is here, on Outset Island," Ganondorf announces as they enter the kitchen. "There is a place known as the Savage Labyrinth; the chart is at the bottom."

"The Savage Labyrinth?" Grandma asks. "I ventured deep into the Labyrinth in my youth, but I never found a chart. I found an odd gold mask, though. Now where did I put that…"

Link, Tetra and Ganondorf watch as Grandma searches the closet, Link and Tetra sharing a look of confusion. Finally, Grandma comes out of the closet, holding up a gold mask that looks like it's grinning.

"This mask shows you the weak points of any enemy you face while you wear it," Grandma explains, holding the mask out to Link. "Take it, dear. I think it will help you on your quest."

Link takes the mask and put it on carefully. He turns to Tetra. "How do I look?"

She starts giggling uncontrollably. "You – look – ridiculous!"

Ganondorf rolls his eyes. "It doesn't matter how you look with it on, as long as it will aid us."

Tetra finally gets control of her giggles. Link rolls his eyes at her, and she snorts again.

"Thanks, Grandma," Link says.

"Of course, dear. Now, before you go, I've made you some more soup! You should all eat and keep up your strength."

"Thank you, Aisha, but I will have to delay my meal. I have something that I need to retrieve before any further action is taken."

"Oh?"

"Arrows of Light. The only other weapon than the Master Sword that may be able to harm the opponent I fear we shall have to face."

"That does sound important," Grandma agrees. "I'll keep some soup warm for you."

To Link and Tetra's great surprise, Ganondorf cracks a smile. "That would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course, dear."

* * *

Ganondorf returns a short while later with a large quiver full of arrows. He offers it to Tetra.

"Your ancestor gave these to the Hero after she revealed herself," he says with great gravitas. "They may be among the only weapons that can harm our current enemy. Use them well."

Tetra takes the quiver. "I don't have a bow, though."

"Here, you can use mine," Link offers, taking it out of his pouch. She takes it uncertainly.

"I've never used a bow before…"

"I can teach you how," Grandma says. "I have a target set up up in the forest, if Drag- Ganondorf would be so kind as to help us get over there." When Link and Tetra look at her doubtfully, she adds, "Is that really so surprising? I'm still a fine shot, I'll have you know."

"It's true," Ganondorf says with a laugh. "Why, it was only a few years ago that she shot a Mothula flying just over my head. A lesser archer would have shot me instead."

"I bet the King would have done it on purpose," Link jokes.

His grandmother gives him a Look, and he stares down at his boots. "I was joking…"

"No matter."

"I can bring us to the forest," Tetra says. "I figured out how to teleport, remember?"

"Oh, yes, you did say that. Well, no time like the present. Let me just get my bow…"

Grandma roots through the closet for a moment and retrieves an unstrung bow and a quiver. She quickly strings the bow, then takes Tetra's offered hand. They disappear in a flash of golden light.

Ganondorf turns to Link. "We should be on our way. The Labyrinth awaits."

* * *

Link rolls around the Darknut and leaps up, slashing at the Darknut's back as he does so. The Darknut roars in pain and collapses, finally dead.

On the opposite side of the room, Ganondorf finishes off the other Darknut that had been lying in wait for them, prompting the disappearance of the fire that blocked the hole leading to the next level. Link wipes the sweat off his brow, wanting to collapse onto the floor in exhaustion, but refraining to save a little face.

"Okay, next level!" he announces after he catches his breath. He leads the way, sword held high, ignoring Ganondorf's exasperation; Link had been doing this since the first level.

When they drop down to the next level, they find only a plinth. A patch of floor is marked with a familiar wind symbol. Link dashes over to it and takes the Wind Waker from his pouch.

Ganondorf watches with great interest. "So, this is how the Triforce charts are hidden?"

"Yep. You need the Wind Waker to make the chests appear."

Link conducts the Wind's Requiem, and a chest appears on the plinth before him. He opens it to reveal the final Triforce chart, which he holds aloft in celebration.

"Got it! Let's go figure out where the last shard is!"

"Yes, let's. We should retrieve Tetra and Aisha before we retrieve the shard, however."

They leave the Labyrinth and return to Link's house to find that the girls have beaten them home.

"That took a long time," Tetra says. "You found the chart, though, right?"

Link holds it up to show her. "All we have to do is figure out where the shard is." He hands the chart off to Ganondorf, who studies it carefully for a few moments.

"I've got it," Ganondorf says finally. "It should be right here." He circles a spot on Link's sea chart.

"Great!" Tetra says. "Now let's go get it!"

"In a moment. There is something I ought to explain to you first."

Ganondorf appears to gather himself for a moment before beginning. "There was a legend in Hyrule, from long before I was born… this legend was part of their reasoning as to why they ought to own all of the land of Hyrule. The legend said that there was a Demon King, who nearly destroyed the land that later became Hyrule. Its people, the people of the goddess Hylia – the Hylians – vanished from the land, until one boy came down from the skies and brought the Demon King to heel. It is said that the goddess then gave the land to the Hylians to live on." He pauses for a moment. "It is also said that the Demon King, with his dying breath, cursed the boy's bloodline to always bear the wrath of his anger."

"So?" Tetra asks. "Why is this important?"

He turns to face her, looking down his nose. "It is important because the legend is true. The Demon King was real, and his curse as well. I knew the Demon King intimately." Ganondorf looks out the window with a faraway look in his eye. "You see, I was raised by a pair of witches together known as Twinrova. They were descendants of a faction of the Gerudo Tribe that had secretly served the Demon King since time immemorial. When I was a young man, they brought me to the shard of the Demon King's spirit which still existed upon the land. The shard latched onto me and possessed me for a time." He shakes his head. "The Demon King made me do terrible things… but I have not felt its influence upon my actions in many years. I fear that the Demon King has left me for another…"

Grandma gasps. "You think the Demon King has latched onto the King of Hyrule?"

"I do. I cannot otherwise explain his actions… why would he be so desperate to destroy Hyrule otherwise? The Demon King is manipulating Daphnes to destroy Hyrule for him."

"Then what can we do to stop them?" Link demands.

"This is why we needed the Master Sword," Ganondorf explains. "It is the only weapon that can truly end the Demon King. Even the Light Arrows cannot stop him for long."

Ganondorf looks Link straight in the eye. "You, Tetra and I will have to stop him. The Triforce can seal him forever, if not destroy him outright. When we retrieve the last shard of the Triforce of Courage, we will go immediately to face him."

Link nods. "Where will he be?"

"Likely either in the ruins of Hyrule Castle or in my own tower in Hyrule."

"Then let's go get the last shard of the Triforce, so we can stop the Demon King once and for all!"


	5. Chapter 5

Ganondorf eyes Grandma with some confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you, of course," she answers serenely.

"Why?"

She gestures at Link. "I'm not sending my grandson off on this mission alone. I can still hold my own in a fight."

"Aisha…"

"No. I'm coming. That's final." She turns to Link and Tetra, who are setting the sails of Link's boat. "Now, are you almost finished there?"

Ganondorf places his palm on his forehead.

* * *

Half a day later, they arrive at the place Ganondorf marked on Link's sea chart. Link drops his grappling hook into the water, letting it sink deep below the waves.

He feels a tug on the end, so he pulls up on the rope. Ganondorf comes to his aid, Triforce glowing on his hand, and together they pull up a chest inscribed with the symbol of the Triforce.

Link opens it and reaches inside. The last shard of the Triforce of Courage is absorbed into his hand with and odd sensation. Suddenly, the sign on the back of his hand blazes with light, and he holds it up to show the other occupants of the boat.

"Excellent," Ganondorf says. "Now, we should head for the Tower of the Gods with all speed."

Link conducts the Ballad of Gales with the Tower in mind, and they are brought there instantly. In the middle of the walls surrounding the tower sits the portal to Hyrule, and Link maneuvers them into it.

As soon as their little boat enters the portal, they hear an awful laugh. "You are all fools. How dare you come to challenge me, the immortal Demon King?"

"We dare!" Link yells. "Demon King or not, we're gonna destroy you!"

The voice laughs again. "Your reckless courage reminds me of your predecessor. Very well! If you wish to throw your lives away, so be it!"

The boat sinks blow the waves, and everyone on board looks down towards Hyrule with determination written clearly on their faces.

* * *

As soon as the boat touches the water in the courtyard pool, Link is clamoring out of the boat, Tetra at his heels. Ganondorf leaps out behind them, and Grandma brings up the rear.

Cautiously, they step inside the castle, their steps swallowed by the thick fabric of the worn carpet on the floor. As soon as they are all inside, a field of magic erupts from the doorframe, trapping them inside.

"Foolish mortals," says the voice from before. It is coming from a fiery shape standing in the hall before the statue of the Hero. The shape stands taller and broader than Ganondorf, but wields no sword. "This is a more pitiful force than the last that opposed me. Two children, an old fool, and a woman who does not even bear the Triforce? Laughable."

Suddenly, the figure holds its hand up, and a black sword materializes in its hand as if from nowhere. "I would almost laugh, if it weren't so pathetic."

"Enough talk," Ganondorf growls, his Triforce symbol blazing bright. Beside him, Tetra's and Link's symbols also light up, and the dim shape of the Triforce appears in midair.

The figure laughs. "Now this is laughable. Do you really think that old relic has any power over me?"

In lieu of an answer, Ganondorf draws his swords and leaps at the figure. Link dashes along behind. Tetra and Grandmaboth nock arrows and fire as soon as they have an opening.

As Ganondorf reaches the figure, he slashes out with his swords. The figure deflects it with his own sword. Link's first attack is similarly deflected.

Ganondorf and Link back up, and they circle around the Demon King. He watches them, but does not move.

Suddenly, an arrow strikes him in the eye, followed shortly by a Light Arrow to the chest. He's frozen for a moment, leaving him open to a few slashes from Ganondorf and Link.

The Demon King throws off the effects of the Light Arrows and thrusts out his hand towards Ganondorf and Link, sending a ball of magic flying towards them. Link leaps in front of Ganondorf and slashes out, deflecting the magic ball.

The Demon King deflects it once more, but as he does so, he's struck by another Light Arrow. Link uses the distraction to land another few blows.

The Demon King growls in rage and stomps towards the archers. Link and Ganondorf move between him and the girls, and he scowls. His massive sword swipes out towards them, but it is stopped by Ganondorf's swords.

Suddenly, with an awful screech of metal, Ganondorf's swords break. The Demon King's sword continues along its path, slashing across Ganondorf's chest and sending him flying. Link manages to bring up the Master Sword in time to deflect the blow, sending the Demon King's sword over his head. Behind him, Link senses his grandma rush over to Ganondorf's side. Tetra doesn't flinch as the massive sword flies past her face; she merely releases the Light Arrow she'd nocked at the Demon King's head.

In an impossible move, the Demon King brings his sword up and slices the arrow in two, sending the shards flying harmlessly past him. Link uses the momentary distraction to close the distance between them and slash out.

The Demon King deflects his blow and retaliates. They trade blows for a moment, until Tetra fires again, giving Link a chance to dodge behind the Demon King and leap up in a slash that hamstrings his opponent. The Demon King lets out a roar as his leg collapses under him, and he drops to his knees with a resounding crash of armor.

"You have some skill with the sword, boy," the Demon King admits, standing once more, though favouring his left leg. "It will not be enough to save you."

"It might just be enough to do this, though," Link mutters, throwing himself at the Demon King once more. The massive sword in his opponent's hand is waiting for him, however, and slashes out as Link leaps.

Thankfully, Link's upward momentum allows him to dodge the worst of the blow, though the blade does catch his left leg. Link doesn't even feel it, so focused is he on his objective.

He stabs the Master Sword forward at the apex of his leap, and stabs the Demon King between the eyes.

The Demon King falls to the ground, stunned for the moment. Link lands and then collapses; he was expecting his left leg to catch him.

It can't: the bottom half has been sheared off.

Behind him, Ganondorf shouts something, and Link's hand glows bright. When the glowing subsides, the Triforce is standing in the air above the Demon King.

Tetra, on some unspoken signal, rushes forward and slaps her hand onto the Triforce. The symbol glows brightly.

"I wish the Demon King was destroyed and Hyrule was restored!" she shouts.

The world swirls around them. There is a terrible shriek, and a high voice shouts about retribution, but Link can no longer focus. He passes out.


	6. Chapter 6

Link comes to with his grandmother pouring soup down his throat.

"Oh, you're awake!"

"Link!" Tetra yells, and he finds himself with an armful of girl a moment later. "I thought you were going to die!"

"I'm fine," he mumbles, looking around helplessly, before he puts his hand on Tetra's back and pats it gently a couple of times. Instead of stopping her blubbering, this seems to make it worse.

He looks up at Grandma, who smiles slightly. Her face is drawn and pale besides, though.

"Where's Ganondorf? What happened? Where are we?"

"We're in one of the rooms in the castle," Grandma explains. "Ganondorf is okay; he's in the room next door. Thankfully, he's still alive."

"We thought... we thought you guys weren't gonna make it," Tetra sniffles. "Mako did what he could – he bandaged up your leg and stuff, and he tried to stop Ganondorf's bleeding – but there wasn't much he could do. It was your grandma's soup that saved the day."

"I knew that stuff was magic," Link mutters, and both Grandma and Tetra laugh. Once they stop, he asks tentatively, "So... I'm gonna need a peg leg?"

"Looks like it," Tetra says quietly. "Gonzo's already working on whittling one, don't worry."

"Can I stand up? I want to go see Ganondorf."

"You shouldn't be moving around too much," Grandma cautions. "The Elixir Soup closed up the wound on your leg and stopped the bleeding, but it could start again."

Link nods. "I'll be careful. Tetra, can you help support me?"

She nods and stands, pulling Link into a sitting position as she goes. It takes them a few tries, but Link finally manages to stand, Tetra supporting him with his left arm slung over her shoulder.

They make their way slowly into Ganondorf's room, where the man is lying awake, staring up at the celiing. He looks over to the door with a small smile as the three enter.

"Good, you're awake."

Link nods and maneuvers over to a small stool beside Ganondorf's bed. "Are you okay? You took a bad hit from that sword."

Ganondorf chuckles, then winces. "Largely. Aisha's soup healed some of the wound, but it's best to let it heal completely on its own. I'll be here for some time, yet." He studies Link for a moment. "What about you? You've lost part of your leg. That is not such an easy wound to recover from."

Link shrugs. "I'll be okay, I guess. One of Tetra's crew is already making me a replacement."

"It should be done within a few days or so," Tetra volunteers.

"Excellent. Now, since you're here, we ought to discuss our plans for Hyrule."

Link looks surprised. "Our plans?"

"Yes. You two have been instrumental to our success in bringing back Hyrule; it is only fair that you should have some say in its ruling." He smiles dryly. "I do not share power well, but I am willing to make an effort."

"You want to share power? What do you...oh. You want us to rule Hyrule too?"

Ganondorf nods. "Word has already spread of our actions. You've sacrificed much in this venture, and the people recognize that."

"So, all three of us will rule? So I'm gonna be a queen?" Tetra has a bright look in her eye. "Awesome!"

Ganondorf chuckles. "Yes, you will be a queen. And Link and I will be kings." A bright gleam enters his eye. "How does that sound?"

Link smiles. "I like that idea. We're all gonna have equal say, right? How will we make laws, though? What if one of us disagrees?"

Ganondorf shrugs. "A majority should pass or veto a law. Unless the one who's against the others can come up with a very good reason why their way is the best." He smirks. "You'll find I'm rather well practiced at that."

"Yeah, well, Link's really stubborn," Tetra says, ignoring the look of protest Link sends her. "So you won't find it that easy."

Ganondorf laughs. "We shall see."

* * *

Several weeks later, when they are all healed and Link is finally used to his new leg, they gather the people of Hyrule and make a speech.

"People of Hyrule!" Ganondorf begins. "The Demon King is gone, and the world returned to its rightful state!"

Cheers rise up from the crowd. He waits for them to subside before continuing.

"There is still a great deal of work to do in rebuilding Hyrule, and returning it to its former glory. Rest assured, we have not been sitting idle. I, along with my fellow rulers, have been working night and day to organize efforts to rebuild. I am pleased to say that there will soon be towns here on the surface. Thanks in great part to Queen Tetra's crew, we have a group of able-bodied volunteers who will build houses and other buildings. In the meantime, there remains space to stay on the castle grounds. No longer will you be relegated to the old islands, now the tops of our mountains! The first buildings of the new Castle Town will be raised within several weeks!"

A cheer rises up from the crowd again, this time louder and more enthusiastic. When they fall silent, Ganondorf gestures to Link and Tetra.

"I will now cede my place to King Link and Queen Tetra, as they have both expressed their wishes to speak to you."

Tetra stepped forward first, after a split-second look at Link.

"Hyrule! There isn't much I can say that King Ganondorf hasn't already said, but I'd like to take this moment to assure you that we will be working for you in the future! All our efforts are made with our people in mind! That's why we won't wait another day for the rebuilding efforts to start!"

Finally, Link steps forward as the crowd cheers. He's a little nervous at the thought of speaking to this many people, but he gathers his formidable courage and opens his mouth.

"Hello! I, uh... What I wanted to say is this. I come from Outset Island, so I know what it's like to be an ordinary person. I'm glad that I was able to step up and help King Ganondorf and Queen Tetra to bring Hyrule back, but I want to remind you all: I'm just like you. If you have a problem that needs our attention, I'm always happy to listen, and help if I can. I wanted to say that because I care about you. I remember what it was like to live on the islands and not be sure of the day ahead. But now that we're here, in Hyrule, we don't always have to be on the lookout for storms and sailing Bokoblins. We can relax and just live our lives. So remember that we're here, not only to rule over you, but to help you. Thank you."

The crowd cheers, and cannons go off from the battlements as Link, Tetra and Ganondorf wave to their people.


End file.
